Feed device



G. A. DUNN FEED DEVICE April 26, 1949.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 10, 1941 April 26, 1949. A, D 2,468,255

FEED DEVICE Filed March 10, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. A. DUNN FEED DEVICEApril 26, 1949.

Filed March 10, 194].

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 //7 I20 /29 I L April 26, 1949.

Filed March 1Q, 1941 G. A. DUNN FEED DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I Patented,Apr. 26,1949

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE FEED DEVICE Guy A. Dunn, Oakland, Calif.,assignor to California Packing Corporation, San Francisco, Calil'., a.corporation of New York Application March 10, 1941, Serial No. 382,650

be understood, however, that the invention is not ,1

limited to this preferred form but may be incorporated in other machinesoperating upon objects other than pears.

This application is drawn to the same disclosure as the jointapplication of Herbert L. Borchers and myself, Serial No. 264,802, filedMarch 29, 1939, now abandoned.

The pear treating machine to which this invention has been applied is ofthe relatively high speed continuously operating type, that is, themachine is not intermittent in its operation and consequently is notbrought to a full stop upon the completion of each operating cycle ashas been the practice in former pear treating'machines.

This continuous operating type of machine has brought about a number ofdifl'icult problems, as, for example, the feeding of the fruit to themachine within the time available for this purpose and also toaccurately center the fruit while being fed into the machine.

The solution of the above and other problems therefore becomes theprincipal object of this invention.

A further object resides in the manner of mounting the object carryingmeans onto the feed turret whereby a wide range of relative movement maybe obtained between the carrying means and turret.

A further object is to provide means for controlling this relativemovement between the carrying means and the feed turret whereby thecarrying means are caused to dwell at a loading zone and to travel intransferring register with the object carrying means of the main turretwhile traversing a transfer zone.

A further object resides in the provision of means for effectingtransfer of the object from the feeding to the main turret while intransferring register. I

In the handling and treating of various irregular similar objects, suchas fruit, and in this particular instance, pears, it is often necessarythat such objects be presented in a properly aligned and predeterminedposition relative to the device for their subsequent automatictreatment.

7 Claims. (Cl. 146-51) Another object of this invention, therefore, isto provide an object carrying and centering unit that will predeterminethe proper vertical alignment of the objects to be carried by said unitprior to their, being received by the transfer means of the main turret.

Another object is to provide gauging means in combination with thetransfer means of the main turret, whereby said objects will becorrectly positioned relative to the plane of subsequent treating meansof the main turret.

A further object is to provide means whereby the engaging means isautomatically released into engagement with the object, the pear in thisinstance, at the loading zone and insuring its predetermined verticalalignment.

A further object is to provide means whereby the object engaging meansis automatically released and latched out of engagement with said objectby the cooperative action of the transfer means of the main turret atthe transfer zone and in timed relation thereto, and simultaneouslypredeterminin the proper height of said object relative to the plane ofsubsequent treating by said main turret.

A further object is to provide automatic means to latch said objectcarrying and centering means in aretra-cted position prior to itsadvance to the loading zone in the event said carrying unit is empty atthe transfer zone whereby the transfer means of the main turret willfail to latch the object engaging means in its retracted position.

A further object is to provide the carrying units with means forautomatically opening or releasing said units in timed relation with thetransfer means of the main turret at the transfer zone for the purposeof transferring the objects, and to provide means for automaticallyclosing said carrying units subsequent to the transfer of the objectsand prior to their arrival at the loading 1 zone.

A further object is to provide rigidly mounted cam tracks coacting withcam rollers on the respective members of the several sets of leversystems for the purpose of attaining the desired dwell, accelerating,and coincident periods of the object engaging and carrying units intheir proper sequence and in timed relation with'the rotation of themain turret.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent as thenature of the invention is more fully understood from the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth what is nowconsidered to be a preferred embodiment.

It should be understood, however, that this particular embodiment of the"invention is chosen principally for the purpose of illustration, andthat variations therefrom in details of construction or arrangement ofparts may accordingly be effected and yet remain within the spirit andscope of the invention as the same is set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates in vertical section, a feed turret in accordance withthis invention, showing the same as being operable in combination with amain turret.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the feed turret, partly in section, and takenin the plane of line 2-2 of Fi 1. v

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one of the object carrying and centeringunits, partly broken away, and illustrating the same in its latchedposition.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken in the plane of the line 44of Fig. 3, and illustrates the several elements of the carrying andcentering unit in cooperative relation with the fixed cams of the feedturret.

Fig. 5'is a plan section taken in the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan section taken in the plane of the line 66 ofFig. 1, and illustrating the means for releasing the carrying elements.

Fig. '7 is a vertical section taken on the line 17 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical section through a portion of theuppermost fixed cam and taken substantially in the location as indicatedby the line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a fragmental view of the latching cam and is takensubstantially on the line 99 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic illustration of the lever systems and the twoactuating cams or controlling means therefor showing the manner in whichthe lever systems are actuated by their respective controlling means tofirst cause the object carrying and centering means of the lever systemsto dwell at the loading zone and the manner in which they areaccelerated to the transfer zone where the carrying and centering meansof the lever systems are conveyed through the transfer zone intransferring alignment with the object carrying devices of the mainturret whereby an accurate transfer of the object from the feed turretto the object carrying device of the main turret of the machine isobtained.

In its preferred embodiment, this invention includes a feed turret A anda main turret B, Fig. 1, both being supported upon standards rigidlysecured to a base 50. These units A and B are continuously operated at aconstant speed and in timed relation inasmuch as they cooperate witheach other to effect the purpose of this invention.

The feed turret A includes a spider 5 I, including two spaced apartsimilar members rigidly held together in axial alignment by the bolts52. This spider 5| (Figs. 1 and. 2) is pressed on. or otherwise rigidlysecured to the upper end of sleeve 53 (Fig. 1) rotatably mounted uponthe standard 54 which is rigidly secured to the base 5|! of the feedturret A. A thrust collar 55, rigidly affixed to the top of the spider5| supports the spider assembly on a thrust bearing 56 which rests upona shoulder I! of the standard 54. A bushing 58 is interposed between thethrust collar and the standard 54 and together with the thrust, bearing56, insures proper axial and vertical alignment of the'spider assembly.

The lower end of the sleeve 53 is supported in a bearing 59 whichsurrounds the lower ex tremit of the standard 54 mounted in the base 53,and secured to the lower end of said sleeve, in any suitable manner, isa large spur gear 60 meshing with the gear 6| rotatably mounted on thestandard 62 of the main turret B.

These gears 68 and GI are preferably of the same pitch diameter,although -a different ratio would make no essential diiference-in theirfunction provided the operating elements of the respective turrets werearranged for such particular relationship. However, in this preferredembodiment of the invention, they rotate at the same speed.

A suitable electric motor and speed reduction assembly 63 secured to thetubular housing 64 of the base structure 50 furnishes the powernecessary to operate the rotating members of the feed turret A and themain turret B. The pinion 65 on the drive shaft 66 meshes with gear 60for driving the feed turret in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewedin plan (see Figs. 2 and 10). The gear 6| of the main turret B and itsassociated rotatable members are accordingly driven at correspondingspeed but in a clockwise direction.

The feed turret is provided with 6 sets of lever systems iii which arehingedly connected thereto by the hinge pins 1| symmetrically disposedabout the central axis of the feed turret. As above pointed out in thepreferred embodiment, there are provided 6 sets of lever systems 10.However, it is to be understood that in some applications of theinvention one or even a greater number than 6 such lever systems may beadvantageously employed. On the free. end of each of the lever systems10 there is provided an object carrying and centering means generallyindicated at 12.

The main turret B may likewise include a plurality of object carrying orimpaling devices 13, reciprocable in the main turret member 14symmetrically disposed about the standard 62, and equidistant from thecentral axis thereof. Preferably there are the same number of objectcarrying or impaling devices 13 as there are object carrying andcentering units of the feed turret A.

It will be understood however that the feed turret may be provided witha greater number of object carrying and centering devices 12 than themain turret is provided with its object carrying and impaling devices13, in which case a different gear ratio will be employed to bring eachof the turret object carrying devices in transferring register with itsrelated carrying device of the main turret. In such an organization thefeed turret may be operated at a slower rate of speed than the mainturret, thus permitting greater interval of time for the initial placingand centering of the object in the feed turret.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a rotary turret that willcontinuously feed similar objects, such as pears, to a main turret,which will transfer said objects from the feed turret t0 the main turretfor the subsequent treatment thereof.

By referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 10, it will be observed that thelongitudinal center line of both turrets A and B is the common diameterof the circles formed by the paths of rotation of their respectiveengaging elements.

In Fig. 10, 0 represents the loading zone or station where the objects,pears in this instance, are fed into the feed turret A, and D representsthe transfer zone or station where the objects are transferred to themain turret B.

The loading zone C may be located directly opposite to the transfer zoneD, as shown in Fig. 10.

As each of the feed turret carrying means I2 is carried through thetransfer zone, it is guided so as to travel in transferring alignmentwith its related main turret impaling device I3. This coincident travelof the two moving carrying devices extends for approximately 25 oftravel, as is indicated in Fig. 10 at E, and it is during this portionof the cycle that the object is transferred from the feed to the mainturret.

Cam' means are provided for controlling the relative movement betweenthe carrying and centering means I2 of each of the lever systems and thefeed turret in a manner to be later described. Inasmuch as the severalsets of lever systems together with their associated object carrying andcentering means I2 are identical, the following description for one setof said elements will apply for all.

By referring to Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 10, it may be observed that theinnermost levers I6 of the lever system I is substantially in theforrnof a hinged frame having upper and lower aligned pivotal centers ateither end, and that said link is pivotally mounted on hinge pin II atits inner end.

The innermost lever I6 is provided with an integral rearwardly anddownwardly extending boss 11, pivotally carrying a cam roller I8, whichtravels in the control cam track I9 milled in the upper face of thecontrol cam 80, which cam is rigidly secured to the tubular housing 64of the feed turret A. a

The outermost lever 86 of the said lever system I0 is substantially aframe member as in the instance of the inner lever I6 and is designed tosupport the object carrying and centering means I2.

The inner and outer levers "I6 and 86 of each lever system I0 arepivotally connected by the pivot pin 81.

The outermost lever 86 of each lever system is provided with a camroller 88 arranged to travel in the cam track 89 milled in the undersurface of the second control cam 90 rigidly secured to the top of thecentral standard 54.

As previously pointed out, each of the object carrying and centeringmeans I2 is mounted upon the free end of the outer or second link 86 ofeach lever system I0 and each of the object carrying and centering meansI2 includes a lower or divisible annular stem and carrying and centeringmeans and an upper or blossom end centering means which are constructedto operatively engage and release the object, a pear in this instance;at predetermined periods during the operation of the feed turret.

By referring particularly to Figs. 4 and 5, it may be observed that thelower or divisible annular stem end carrying and centering means 9I mayinclude a pair of complementary members 92 and 93, which, when in theirclosed .position (Fig. assume the form of an annular cup having acentral opening 94.

Formed integral with rearwardly extending portions of the respectivecomplementary members 92 and 93 are intermeshing segmental gears 95 and96, said complementary members being in this manner rotatably supportedon the respective pivots 91 and 98 in the bifurcated end of the angularbracket 99 which is adjustably secured as at I00 to the body of theouter link 86 of each lever system I0.

It is to be understood that this angular bracket 99 is designed toprovide for the proper location of the aforesaid complementary members92 and 93 which constitute the lower carrying means 9I.

The extension of the complementary member 93 is in the form of abellcrank, rotatable about its pivot 98, and its tail portion IOIcarries a cam roller I02 guided in the cam track I03 of a cam lever I04,which is rigidly secured to the lower end of a rod I05 rotatably mountedin extensions,

I06 of the respective upper and lower bearings for the pivot 81 of theouter lever 86, thereby maintaining definite relationship between saidcam lever I04 and the lower carrying means 9|.

' Rigidly secured to the top of the rod I05 is an arm I0'I (Fig. 6)supporting a cam roller I08 at its outer end, said arm I0'I beingpositioned so that its roller I08 lies in the path of a cam face I09(see Figs. 6 and 7) projecting downwardly from the edge of the upperfixed cam 90, and for the purpose of swinging open the complementarymembers 92 and 93 about their respective pivots 91 and 98, during thetransfer period, a torsion spring II 0 (Fig. 3) surrounding the rod I05and acting between the cam I04 and the upper extension I06 of the lever96 to yieldingly hold the respective complementary members 92 and 93 inclosed relation after disengagement of roller I08 from the depending camface I09.

The upper or blossom end centering means I II (Fig. 4) of eachobjectcarrying and centering means I2 is pivotally supported as at H2 and H3by the parallel arms H4 and H5, respectively, and said parallel arms arepivotally secured at their respective opposite ends to the body of theouter lever 86 as at H6 and III (Figs. 3 and 4).

This upper member III has an oiTset engaging head II8 having a taperedboss 9 projecting from its lower face which is in axial alignment withthe center of the lower carrying means 9| and serves to align or centerthe object or pear in the carrying means I2.

The lower end of the upper member III is notched as at I20 to receive aroller or detent I2I pivoted on one end of a bellcrank I22 which ispivotally supported as at I23 in an ofiset bracket I24 secured also tothe body of the outer lever 86 of the lever system I0. The other leg ofthe bellcrank extends outwardly and downwardly into the path of anantifraction engaging member I25 (Figs. 3 and 5) adjustably secured tothe lower fixed cam 80.

A tension spring I26 (Fig. 4) connects the lower parallel arm I I5 to afixed point I21 on the offset bracket I24 which is rigidly secured tothe lever 86, and a second tension spring I28 (Figs. 3 and 5) isattached to the outer leg of the bellcrank I22 and to the body of saidlever 86. It is through the related action of these springs I26 and I28that the upper member III is latched out of engagement with the pear bythe bellcrank I22 and its latching roller I2I.

A set screw I29 (Fig. 4) in the cross web of the outer lever 86 willengage one of the cross webs of the lower parallel arm I I 5 and limitthe downward movement of said parallel arms and the upper member III,when the latching detent I2I is disengaged from the notch I20 of themember I I I.

The lower portion of the upper member I II may be offset to conform withthe location of the latching detent I2I of the bellcrank I22 which isnecessarily at an angle in order to be intercepted by the antifractionmember I25.

This antifriction .member I25 (Figs. 3 and 5) may be a roller mounted inthe upper end of a stud shaft I30 adjustably mounted in the sleeve I3Iof a bracket I32 which in turn is adjustably secured to the lower fixedcam 80. Adjustment of said anti-friction member is required only for theproper alignment with the engaging box I33 of the bellcrank lever I22 ofthe several object carrying and centering means I2, when setting up theturret feed or varying the location of the lower carrying and centeringmeans 9| when a different size pear or other object is to be handled.

A stop I34 (Fig. 4) integral with the top part of the outer link,engaging a boss on the cross web of the upper of the parallel arms H4,limits the upward movement of said arms and also the upward movement ofmember II I.

Preferably there are the same number of impaling devices I3 on the mainturret as there are object carrying means 12 on the feed turret althoughfor the purpose of illustration only one of these impaling devices I3 isshown, it. being understood that the remaining number of these devicesare identical in construction and mode of operation and aresymmetrically disposed about the axis of the main turret B.

The timing of the main turret relative to the feed turret is such thatas the respective carrying means I2 travels through the transfer zone D,the respective impaling devices '63 of the main turret will be in exactaxial alignment with the vertical axis of the pear or other objects heldby said carrying means 12.

Each of the impaling devices I3 is preferably in the form of a tube andis moved upwardly while passing through the transfer zone D to enter thealigned fruit to a predetermined depth, thus taking over control of thefruit from the feed turret.

The impaling devices or tubes I3 are reciprocably mounted in therotatable spider or main turret member III which may be composed of anupper and lower member and are secured to the hub I35 of the main turretgear 6|, Fig. 1.

A cylindrical cam I36 is rigidly secured to the central standard 62,preferably between the upper and lower members of the rotatable spider14. A cam track I3! is milled in the cylindrical surface of said cam,and guides the cam roller I38 which is rotatably secured to the lowerenlarged portion of the impaling device or tube 13 and at 90 to itsvertical axis. Each of the impaling devices or tubes I3 may be heldagainst rotation by any suitable means, not shown.

The cam track I31 in the cam I33 is designed to reciprocate the impalingdevices 13. During the travel of each of the impaling devices I3 throughthe transfer zone, it is moved upwardly into the pear to thereby takeover control of the pear and at the same time to return the uppercentering means to its latched position. As the upper member III willnot be latched in its retracted position by the upward movement of theimpaling tube I3 unless fruit or other object is being carried by thecarrying and centering means 12, it is therefore desirable to providemeans for retracting the upper member I I I which will act before thereturn of the carrying means I2 back to the loading zone C.

The means for automatically retracting the upper member III may includea cam face I43 (Figs. 2, 8 and 9), secured to the upper fixed cam 90 ofthe feed turret A and positioned for the proper clearance of the variousmoving parts. The cam face I43 is positioned to intercept the path oftravel of the small cam roller I44 rotatably mounted upon the forwardportion of the engaging head II8 of the upper member III and will thuslift any of the upper members III to 8 its retracted position where itwill latch in the manner previously described in those cases in whichthe impaling device I3 does not perform this function during the passageof the parts through the transfer zone.

In the operation of the preferred embodiment of the invention hereindisclosed, the several adjustable elements of the feed turret A areuniformly set for the particular size of pears or other object to behandled thereby, and the several transfer members, the impaling tubes ordevices I3, of the main turret B are likewise uniformly adjusted as tothei vertical position so that the pear or other object impaled thereonwill be properly positioned for introduction to the main turret forsubsequent treatment thereof.

It has previously been described how the two turrets A and B aresimultaneously and continuously operated in timed relation with eachother by virtue of the driving pinion 65 rotating the feed turret gear60 and said gear 60 in turn driving the main turret gear 6| in thereverse direction, and the timing of the respective impaling devices I3to coact with the respective carrying and centering means I2 as theysuccessively travel through the transfer zone D in transferringalignment.

By referring to the diagrammatic view as shown in Fig. 10, it may beobserved that a portion of the second control cam track 89 includes anarcuate section I50 at the loading zone C. The center of curvature ofthis arcuate portion I50 is laid out from the vertical axial center ofthe object carrying and centering device I2 when located in the loadingzone, whereby the object carrying means will dwell during the continuousrotation of the feed turret in order to provide sufilcient time for theplacing and centering of the object or fruit in the carrying means I2.

It is to be understood when the term dwell is used that the objectcarrying and centering means may actually remain stationary withrelation to the forward travel of the feed turret. However, it willrotate slightly during the dwell about its vertical central axis whichin no way affects the placing or centering of the fruit in the device.This is a very important feature of the invention as it provides thenecessary time interval for the feeding of the object into the feedturret of a relatively high speed operating machine. If it were not forthis dwell at the loading zone, it would be very difiicult if notimpossible to feed the objects as the object carrying means travel pastthe loading zone.

To obtain the dwell of each of the ,feed turret carrying means I2 asthey pass through the loading zone, the first control cam track I9 has astraight line portion, as at I5Il-A to cooperate through the innermostlever 16 of each lever system with the outer lever 86.

During the dwell period, the operator presents a pear with its neck orstem end downward so that it rests and is centered in the complementaryhalves of the lower or divisible annular stem end carrying and centeringmeans 9|, while the large or blossom end is positioned uppermost so thatthe depression contained therein is directly in line with the smalltapered boss 9 of the upper centering member III (Figs. 1 and 4).

The operator may hold the fruit in this position until the uppercentering means III is released by the boss I33 swinging into engagementwith the anti-friction roller or member I25 as previously described, orthe operator may place the stem end of the fruit in the carrying means II2 and thereafter lift the blossom end until its depression enters thesmall tapered boss H9, in-

suring proper alignment orcentering of the fruit alignment and to thuspresent the fruit to the impaling means at the transfer zone and as aresult thereof the fruit will be accurately centered upon the mainturret impaling device 13 at the completion of the transfer.

It will be understood that when the machine is arranged to treat objectsother than pears, it may be necessary to provide a different type ofcarrying and centering means from those shown and described herein.

As previously pointed out, each of the lever systems III constitutesmeans for mounting each. of the carrying and centering means 12 onto thefeed turret A in order to provide for a relative movement between thecarrying means and the turret and also the manner in which the twocontrol cams I9 and 89 are arranged to control the action of the leversystems to bring about the dwell at the loading zone and thetransferring register at the transfer zone.

The second important portion of the two control cams 19 and 89 isindicated at I50-B and IlI-C, which portions of the respective camscontrol the action of the respective lever systems as they travelthrough the transfer zone D. The control cam portions I50-B and I50-Care arranged to actuate each of the lever systems as it passes throughthe transfer zone to convey the holding and centering means 12 carriedthereby so that the vertical axial center of the carrying means I2 willtravel along the arc of the main turret impaling device 13 which are isindicated in Fig. by the reference numeral 15 and due to thisarrangement the carrying means 12 of the feed turret will travel throughthe transfer zone D in accurate alignment with the impaling device ofthe main turret, whereby an accurate transfer of the object is obtained.The two control earns 19 and 89 directly following the transfer portionsI5ll'-B and I50--C are arranged to actuate the lever systems to swingthe carrying means 12 thereof to permit the impaling device 13 of themain turret to pass from between the complementary members 92 and 93which at this point will have been opened in the manner previouslydescribed.

The position of the lever system as it leaves the transfer zone D isshown in broken lines in Fig. 10 and illustrates the manner in which theimpalng device 13 of the main turret passes from between the opencomplementary members. The remaining'portions of the two control camsare arranged to control the lever systems in any suitable manner betweenthe loading and transfer zones.

The transfer of the pear takes place in the following manner:

As one of the feed turret fruit carrying means 12 approaches thetransfer zone D, one of the main turret impaling devices 13 alsoapproaches the transfer zone and during this approach starts to rise byvirtue of the engagement of the cam roller I38 carried by said impalingdevice 13 with the rise period of its camtrack I31.

As the feed and main turret continue their travel, the impaling device13 of themain turret is caused to rise and finally as the two turretspass through the transfer zone the impaling device 13 enters the centralopening 94 of the lower centering means 9| of the feed turret and as theoperation continues the impaling device 13 moves upwardly into thealigned fruit held in the feed turret and will during this upwardmovement push the pear against its upper centering member III and willraise this member upwardly against the action of its spring I26 untilreaching its fully retracted position at which point the stop I34 willprevent further upward movement, and also at this point the uppercentering member III will be locked in its retracted position by thelatching mechanism previously described.

The upward movement of the fruit is limited by the upper centeringmember III reaching its retracted position and in so doing acts to pushthe fruit on the impaling device 13 at a predetermined distance from theupper centering member I I I and in this way serving as a gauge topredetermine the proper vertical position of the pear for suchsubsequent treatment as may be performed upon the pear by the mainturret. In the present instance the upper end of the impaling device 13eventually locates itself at a point approximately opposite the largediameter of the pear, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1.

After the fruit is impaled upon the impaling device I3 of the mainturret in the manner above described, the complementary members 92 and93 of the lower carrying and centering device 9I are caused to swingopen to permit the carrying device of the main turret to pass therefromin the manner shown in broken lines in Fig. 10. As the main turretcontinues its rotation, its impaling device 13 may be raised further orlowered as desired, -by the action of its cam track I31 to position thefruit for subsequent treatment.

During the travel of the feed turret from the transfer zone to theloading zone, the complementary members '92 and 93 are returned to theirnormally closed position in the manner previously described, and uponarriving at the loading zone are in condition to receive another pieceof fruit which in turn will be carried through the cycle of operationabove referred to.

Having fully described the invention, it is to be understood that it isnot to be limited to the details herein set forth, but the invention isof the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for handling fruit, a main turret having a fruitcarrying device, a fruit feed turret operated in timed relation with themain turret, a compound lever system mounted in the feed turret andhaving fruit carrying means, a multiple cam system within the feedturret and operably connected between the compound levers to cause thefruit carrying means thereof to dwell at a loading zone and during itspassage through a transfer zone to travel in axial alignment with theobject carrying device of the main turret to facilitate feeding of fruitto the fruit carrying means during the dwell and to facilitate anaccurate transfer of the fruit from the fruit carrying means of the feedturret to the fruit carrying device of the main turret, and means forefiecting transfer of the fruit from the fruit carrying 11 means of thefeed turret to the fruit carrying device of the main turret during suchalignment.

2. In a device for handling fruit, a continuously rotating main turrethaving a fruit carrying device. a feed turret operated in timed relationwith the main turret, a compound lever system carried by the feed turrethaving fruit carrying means, and a multiple cam means in the feed turretoperably connected with levers of the compound lever system and operableas the levers travel in the feed turret to cause the fruitcarrying meansthereof to dwell at a loading zone and during its passage through atransfer zone so as to cause the fruit carrying means of the feed turretto move in axial alignment with the fruit carrying device of the mainturret to facilitate an accurate transfer of the fruit thereto.

3. In a machine for handling fruit, a main turret having a fruitcarrying device, a feed turret having its axis of rotation spaced fromthe axis of rotation of the main turret and operated in timed relationwith said main turret, a compound lever system within the feed turretand having fruit carrying means, a multiple cam system within the feedturret and operably connected with levers of the compound lever systemto cause the fruit carrying device thereof to dwell at a loading zone,and during its passage through a transfer zone to travel in axialalignment with the fruit carrying device of the main turret tofacilitate an accurate transfer of the fruit thereto. 1

4, In a machine for handling fruit, a main turret having a fruitcarrying device, a feed turret operating in timed relation with the mainturret, I.

a compound lever system carried by. the 'feed turret, the compound leversystem supporting a fruit carrying and centering ring, a multiple cammeans operably connected with levers of the com pound lever system tocause the fruit carrying ring thereof to dwell at a loading zone forreceiving and centering a fruit, and during its passage through atransfer zone to position the centering rin and the fruit carryingdevice in axial alignment.

5. In a fruit handling device, a main turret having fruit impalingmeans, a feed turret operated in timed relation with the main turret,the feed turret having fruit carrying and centering means, a compoundlever system operatively con-' r nected with the fruit carrying andcenteringmeans, a multiple cam system operably connected with levers ofthe compound lever system in the feed turret to actuate the fruitcentering and carryin means and to provide a dwell of the fruitcentering means at a feed zone at which the fruit is fed to the fruitcarrying and centering means, and means at a transfer zone for actuatingthe impaling means in timed relation with the fruit centering andcarrying means to impale the fruit.

6. In a pear handling machine, a continuously rotating main turrethaving impaling means, a continuously rotating feed turret driven intimed relation with the main turret, carrying and centering meansincluding a stem end carrying and centering means and blossom endcenteringmeans, means mounting said carrying and centering means on thefeed turret to provide relative movement therebetween, a compound leversystem operably connected with the fruit carrying and centering means, amultiple cam system within the feed turret and operably connected withlevers of the compound lever system for causing" the carrying andcenterin means to dwell at.a loading zone whereby the time intervalpermitted for feeding the stem end of the fruit into the carrying andcentering means with relation to the blossom end centering means isincreased, and means at a transfer zone for impaling the fruit as heldby the stem end carrying and centering means, said latter means beingpositioned in the main turret, and means operable after said impalingmeans is operated for actuatin the carrying and centering means andblossom and centering means to release the fruit to the impaling means.

'7. In a continuously operating fruit handling apparatus, thecombination of a fruit receiving and carrying means, means for movingthe fruit carrying means continuously through a closed path in which afruit feeding station is provided at which the fruit 'is fed to thefruit carrying means, a compound lever system operably connected withthe fruit carrying means, a multiple cam means operably connected withlevers of the compound lever system for moving the fruit carrying meansthrough a modified path of movement at the feed station for causing thefruit carrying means to dwell at said station, whereby the effectivetime within which a fruit may be fed to the fruit carrying means isincreased.

GUY A. DUNN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

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